Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of MACA and are on the issue of a payday loan company with an office in Yellowknife and active in Ontario is facing a loss of its Ontario licence because of overcharging interest and fees. Despite exactly the same sorts of problems with payday loans here in Yellowknife, we hear no reports of action by our government to investigate, monitor and control what is happening here. The 16th Assembly passed law to require clarity in payday loan agreements for customers, but the best law is meaningless without enforcement. My question is: Does...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister again. The legal limit is 60 percent, and yet sometimes the loan companies have taken their customers to court to repay loans and the courts have actually found that the companies are charging way above the legal limit. MACA says people with complaints should go to the RCMP, but that’s relief from victimization, not prevention. Ontario revokes their licence while we turn a blind eye. My question is: When will this government recognize its responsibilities and set up a program of vigilance and enforcement?

Thanks for the Minister’s comments. I hope that the Minister will report to committee on the results of that monitoring.

People who rely on payday loan companies are often the most vulnerable in our society, as the Minister knows; people without bank accounts or fixed addresses. They then become trapped in a cycle of debt, paying their whole paycheques so they can borrow on the next, or borrowing to pay their loans. It’s not a coincidence that loans stores are located right nearby both of our liquor stores.

When the law was introduced, what steps did the department take to meet with firms to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every second term this Legislative Assembly reviews its electoral boundaries to see whether the distribution of seats is fair and appropriate. The interim report from the Electoral Boundaries Commission has been released, and the opportunity for all citizens to have their voice is here.

This Assembly set the rules for the review, and will ultimately decide whether to adopt or reject and replace final recommendations. MLAs will have their final say, but for now I am keen for citizens to have theirs, and I would like to stress today the vital importance of citizen...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the dollars have been allocated but not handed over. There is a major difference there.

Two family resource initiatives were announced, the other being in Tulita. Can the Minister tell me what the status of this work is and are funds going to the communities on these pilot programs as well? Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. I’m wondering if that report will actually be the early childhood development framework, and if so, a considerable amount of expertise was brought up for the conference, and of course, we have our own exceptionally qualified Dr. Andre Corriveau expert. Will all of this expertise be available to help guide the development of this document? I’m assuming we’re talking about the framework here.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Mr. Anthony Whitford, resident and MLA. I’d also like to recognize a previous colleague, David Krutko. Also Mira Hall, a YK1 board trustee. Jenni Bruce and Brian Desjardins, again we’ve mentioned their names from NWT Tourism. Great to see them here.

Thanks to the Minister. The lack of promised on-the-ground resource centre programs in Ndilo is disappointing at the end of the year here. I know one kafuffle is that it had been the Minister’s insistence that it be a one-year-only program and who would want to invest effort in a flash in the pan kind of program when consistent long-term programs are obviously what’s required.

Given the failure to date, how can the full year allocation of funds for this project in Ndilo possibly be spent in a responsible way in the next few weeks before year end? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of ECE. I spoke today about the valuable deliberations and insight shared at the recent Improving Our Children’s Future Conference on early childhood development. The momentum is here and now. Can the Minister say when we will be getting a report on the lessons gained at the conference and his proposals for actions as a result? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I salute the work of last month’s Improving our Children’s Future Conference on early childhood development held here in Yellowknife. Community delegates, educators, program professionals and world-class experts in the science and practice of early childhood development gathered to share and learn. The leadership presence that Ministers Lafferty and Beaulieu emphasized about the increasing importance being placed upon this work. Participants learned of the critical role the child/parent relationship plays in enabling brain development, how self-regulation works and...